QUICK SUMMARY
The short answer: as of 2026, a home inside Tuscaloosa city limits is taxed at 51.5 mills, a home inside Northport is taxed at 38.5 mills, and a home in the unincorporated county is taxed at 27 mills. Because Alabama taxes owner-occupied homes on just 10% of their value, a $300,000 house costs about $1,545 a year in Tuscaloosa, $1,155 in Northport and $810 in the county before the homestead exemption. The biggest reason for the gap is schools: Tuscaloosa City Schools collect 15.5 mills, while the county school districts collect 4.5.
Buyers ask us this question all the time. Two houses can sit a mile apart, one on each side of the Black Warrior River, and carry very different tax bills. This guide uses the official Tuscaloosa County Tax Assessor millage chart (republished May 2026) to show you exactly where the money goes and what it means for your monthly payment. Last updated: September 2026.
Key takeaways
1. The tax rate depends on the parcel’s jurisdiction, not the mailing address. A “Northport” or “Tuscaloosa” zip code does not always mean you are inside city limits.
2. Every $100,000 of home value costs about $130 more per year in Tuscaloosa than in Northport, and about $245 more per year than in the unincorporated county.
3. Both recent school tax votes failed (county in 2023, city in 2024), so these rates have not changed.
4. Some unincorporated areas add a separate fire district fee on top of the millage.
How is a property tax bill figured in Tuscaloosa County?
Three steps. First, the county appraises your home’s market value. Second, because you live in it, Alabama assesses it at 10% of that value (Class III property). Third, that assessed value is multiplied by the total millage for your location. One mill equals $1 of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value.
Example: a $300,000 home is assessed at $30,000. At 51.5 mills, the bill is $30,000 x 0.0515 = $1,545. At 38.5 mills it is $1,155. At 27 mills it is $810.
If you want the statewide rules, exemptions and deadlines, we cover those in How Do Property Taxes Work in Alabama? and Alabama Property Taxes Explained: How the Homestead Exemption Saves You Money. This article is about the local numbers.
What are the 2026 millage rates in Tuscaloosa, Northport and the county?
Here is the breakdown from the Tuscaloosa County Tax Assessor and Collector millage chart. Every property in the county pays the same state and county base. The differences come from the school district and the city.
| Who collects it | City of Tuscaloosa | City of Northport | Unincorporated county | Brookwood, Vance, Moundville, Lake View |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State of Alabama (general, soldier, school) | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Tuscaloosa County general + roads and bridges | 10.5 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 10.5 |
| Countywide school tax | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| School district tax | 15.5 (Tuscaloosa City Schools) | 4.5 (county schools) | 4.5 (county schools) | 4.5 (county schools) |
| City tax | 13.5 | 11.5 | 0 | 5 |
| Total mills | 51.5 | 38.5 | 27.0 | 32.0 |
Source: Tuscaloosa County Tax Assessor and Collector millage chart, current as of 10/1/2023 and republished May 2026. Rates apply to owner-occupied (Class III) property. A small number of parcels sit inside the Tuscaloosa City Schools district but outside the city limits; those pay 38 mills.
What will I actually pay on a $250,000, $300,000 or $400,000 home?
These figures are before the homestead exemption, which for most owners under 65 trims the bill by a modest amount (the exemption removes up to $4,000 of assessed value from the state portion and up to $2,000 from certain county levies). The middle sale price in Tuscaloosa County was $288,800 in July 2026, according to our September 2026 Tuscaloosa County market report, so the $300,000 row is close to a typical purchase.
| Home value | Tuscaloosa (51.5) | Northport (38.5) | County (27.0) | Brookwood / Vance / Moundville (32.0) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $1,288 / yr ($107 / mo) | $963 / yr ($80 / mo) | $675 / yr ($56 / mo) | $800 / yr ($67 / mo) |
| $300,000 | $1,545 / yr ($129 / mo) | $1,155 / yr ($96 / mo) | $810 / yr ($68 / mo) | $960 / yr ($80 / mo) |
| $400,000 | $2,060 / yr ($172 / mo) | $1,540 / yr ($128 / mo) | $1,080 / yr ($90 / mo) | $1,280 / yr ($107 / mo) |
| $500,000 | $2,575 / yr ($215 / mo) | $1,925 / yr ($160 / mo) | $1,350 / yr ($113 / mo) | $1,600 / yr ($133 / mo) |
Even the highest local rate is low by national standards. A $400,000 home in Tuscaloosa city limits pays about $172 a month in property tax. In many states the same house would pay two to four times that.
Want a full monthly payment estimate for a specific house, taxes included? Call or text The Williams Group at 205-292-2108 or start with how much house you can afford in Alabama.
Why is the rate higher inside Tuscaloosa city limits?
Two line items explain all of it.
1. Schools (11 of the 13 extra mills). Tuscaloosa City Schools is its own system, separate from the Tuscaloosa County School System that serves Northport and the rest of the county. City residents pay a 15.5-mill district tax for it, versus 4.5 mills in the county districts. That 11-mill gap is worth about $110 a year per $100,000 of home value.
2. City services (2 mills). The City of Tuscaloosa levies 13.5 mills and Northport levies 11.5. Both fund police, fire, streets, parks and sanitation. See what the city’s record $356 million 2027 budget pays for.
Rates have been stable for years. Tuscaloosa County voters rejected an 8-mill increase for county schools in February 2023 by roughly 4 to 1, and Tuscaloosa city voters narrowly rejected an 11.5-mill increase for city schools in September 2024. Any future change would also require a public vote.
Does a Tuscaloosa or Northport address mean I pay city taxes?
Not always, and this trips people up. Mailing addresses and zip codes follow the post office, not city limits.
Plenty of homes with a Northport address (35473, 35475, 35476) sit outside Northport’s city limits, especially up Highway 43 toward Samantha and out Highway 82 toward Coker. Many homes with a Tuscaloosa address (35405, 35406) are unincorporated too, including stretches of the Lake Tuscaloosa shoreline and much of Cottondale (35453). Those owners pay the 27-mill county rate, not 51.5.
The trade-off is services. Unincorporated homes usually rely on county roads, a volunteer or district fire department, and private or county water and trash. Several of those fire districts (Carrolls Creek, Samantha, Fosters, Romulus, Coaling, Montgomery, Mt. Olive and Lake View) charge an annual fire fee that appears on the tax bill on top of the millage.
How to check: the Tuscaloosa County Tax Assessor’s parcel search shows the tax district for any address, and your agent can pull last year’s actual bill from the MLS or the county in a couple of minutes.
Should the tax difference change where I buy?
Usually not by itself. On a $300,000 home the Tuscaloosa-to-Northport difference is about $390 a year, or $33 a month. That matters, but school preference, commute, neighborhood and the house itself matter more. Where it does make a difference:
Higher-priced homes. At $600,000 and up (common on Lake Tuscaloosa, in North River and in newer Northport communities), the city-versus-county gap passes $1,400 a year.
Investors and second homes. Non-owner-occupied property is assessed at 20% instead of 10%, so every mill counts double. See our investment property guide.
Buyers near the line. Streets on the edge of city limits can have a city parcel next to a county parcel. Ask before you assume.
A local perspective from The Williams Group
The Williams Group at Keller Williams Realty works on both sides of the river every week, from the University area and Hillcrest to downtown Northport, Northwood Lake and out to Coker and Vance. In our experience, the tax bill is rarely the reason someone picks Northport over Tuscaloosa or the reverse. What buyers notice is the total monthly payment. A $33-a-month tax difference is smaller than the swing you get from a quarter-point change in your mortgage rate, and far smaller than the difference between a well-priced home and an overpriced one.
Where we do see taxes bite is in escrow surprises. New construction is often taxed on the lot value only in year one. When the county reappraises the finished house, the escrow payment can jump. If you are buying new in places like The Townes at North Lake or elsewhere in the county, budget for the full-value bill from the start. And whether you buy in Tuscaloosa, Northport or the county, file your homestead exemption at the courthouse on Greensboro Avenue by December 31 of your first year. It is free, and it is not automatic.
Comparing neighborhoods? Start with our guides to living in Tuscaloosa and living in Northport, or call 205-292-2108.
Frequently asked questions
What is the property tax rate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama?
Inside Tuscaloosa city limits the total rate is 51.5 mills as of 2026: 6.5 state, 16 county (including the countywide school tax), 15.5 Tuscaloosa City Schools and 13.5 city. On an owner-occupied home that works out to about $515 a year per $100,000 of market value.
What is the property tax rate in Northport, Alabama?
Inside Northport city limits the total rate is 38.5 mills: 6.5 state, 16 county, 4.5 county school district and 11.5 city. That is about $385 a year per $100,000 of market value for an owner-occupied home.
How much are property taxes on a $300,000 house in Tuscaloosa County?
Before exemptions: about $1,545 in the City of Tuscaloosa, $1,155 in Northport, $960 in Brookwood, Vance, Moundville or Lake View, and $810 in the unincorporated county. The homestead exemption lowers each of these slightly.
When are Tuscaloosa County property taxes due?
Bills come out October 1 and become delinquent after December 31. Alabama taxes are paid in arrears, so the bill you get in October 2026 covers the tax year that began October 1, 2025. Most buyers with a mortgage pay through escrow, and the seller credits the buyer at closing for their share of the year.
Do Lake Tuscaloosa homes pay city or county taxes?
Both exist. Parts of the shoreline are inside the City of Tuscaloosa (51.5 mills) and parts are inside Northport (38.5 mills), but a large share of lake property is unincorporated county (27 mills, sometimes plus a fire district fee). Check the tax district on the parcel before you compare two lake listings.
Sources
Tuscaloosa County Tax Assessor and Collector, Current Millage Chart (updated May 8, 2026) and Tax Assessor homestead FAQ. Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority, Taxes and Incentives. The Williams Group, Tuscaloosa County Housing Market Report, September 2026. Election results as reported by the Tuscaloosa Thread (February 2023) and WBRC (September 2024).
Deciding between the two cities and not just comparing their tax bills? See Northport vs. Tuscaloosa: Which Should You Buy In? for how schools, commutes, housing stock and new construction compare.
Buying in Tuscaloosa or Northport?
We will pull the real tax bill on any home you are considering and show you the full monthly cost before you make an offer. No pressure, just local answers.
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